Tabitha
by Ms. Draca
Summary: A letter from home opens up old wounds for two chipmunks. Crossover with: The Rescuers, The Rescuers Down Under and The Secret of N.I.M.H.
1. Still Missing You

**Note from the author:** This started as a short story (the first chapter) and some of the first readers (at the Acorn Cafe forum) kept asking where the rest of it was so I wrote more and after having finished it I started a sequel which has since been deleted and added to the end of this story instead. So this is once again a work in progress.

**Disclaimer: **  
The Rescue Rangers, The Rescuers, Unca Oakie, Zip, and Zap belong to Disney but since I haven't read the comics they're from I doubt much about them is the same as Disney's version of them. The Secret of NIMH movie belongs to Don Bluth. The other characters are mine. I am not getting paid for this. Some of the content has been influenced by the Chip N Dale Rescue Ranger fandom.

**This fan fiction story contains: **  
At least two instances of realistic violence, cartoon chipmunks bonking each other, and at lest three instances of chipmunk chatter.  
Some content may be offensive to select persons.  
The majority of this story is left up to the reader's imagination.  
You have been warned.

**Tabitha**

Tabitha dusted the table slowly. She lifted the framed picture of their wedding onto the sofa next to the box of old pictures her grandsons had been rooting through. "The Resident Psychopath" had just left with the twins. Andy wasn't felling well, she was well enough to deal with the baby, but not the daring duo.  
The back room had been a mess! Toys everywhere. They'd even drug out that old piano the boys had used to bang on.  
Tabitha smiled at the thought and shook her head. After she'd put the box of pictures away, she gently slipped a 1930's record on the old player.  
Her husband Daniel teased her about her little habit, listening to music while she worked. She picked up their wedding picture,  
"My name had been Ashgrove back then..." she mused setting it back on the table. She continued to clean stopping only to switch the record player off when she saw her husband, through the kitchen window, coming back into the barn where they lived.  
"Oh, Danny," she whispered to herself, as she glance at the desk where the box of old family pictures (that never seemed to make it into a photo album) sat.  
"Why did he have to look so much like you," she thought unhappily. Daniel had noticed a change in his wife's demeanor when he came in. Something was bothering her. They way she ... looked at him ... He sighed.  
"Tabs?" He queried experimentally.  
"Mmm." She blinked a bit, her mind coming back to the present.  
"You, ok, Hon?" Daniel asked hoping it wasn't what he thought it'd be.  
"Why. He...," She sobbed, "Why?!"  
Daniel felt his body slump, the world'd come crashing down, yet again.  
"T-tabby, Honey. He...we, uh. You know what happened. He made his own decision," Daniel could see he was fighting a losing battle here,  
"And we, you told him that, that whenever. If ever he wanted to, he'd be welcome here, an' he knows it.  
Tabs? He knows we-uh I didn't really mean to ... well he ..."  
Daniel sat down on the floor and tried to sort through his thoughts, something he didn't enjoy doing.  
If he were honest with himself, he'd admit he was at least half at fault if not more so for the fight. Fight? Well, the argument anyway. The argument that lost him his son, their son.  
"He's a good boy, Tabitha. And he can take care of himself, if he has too. It's not like he's alone. My cousin Arthur's boy is out there too, you know. They've always been close. Even-heh, well, even then.  
And he writes, to you and the twins every now an' then." He paused and scratched his head.  
She'd stopped crying sometime ago, he had her full attention.  
"Well, what do you want me to say?" he said suddenly throwing his hands up in the air, her staring at him like that always disturbed him.  
"I don't know," she murmured tiredly, her gaze drifted to the mantle.  
There sat a dented thimble with two toothpicks glued to the front in a wide "X", Daniel's first fencing trophy, two pictures flanked it on either side.  
The first on the left was a group shot of their daughter Andrea, with her husband Thomas Ferris, who Tabitha'd fondly nicknamed "The Resident Psychopath", with their children Zip, Zap, and Melissa. The second picture, on the right, was of their son Daniel Wilber Oakmont Jr. Renamed "Dale" by then six-year-old Andy who misheard "new baby brother Danny" as "new baby brother Daddy". "Well? Tabs?" Daniel scooted closer and nudged her.  
"I just want to see him again. To know, for sure, that he's alright," she said numbly,  
"For all we know he could have a girlfriend, or even be married by now." she began to lament, and then perked up,  
"He hasn't written one way or another. Not that he probably would! Would want to surprise me! Just like his father, give me a heart attack is what it'd do!  
It's time he had a girlfriend, got himself married too.  
And another thing, he -..." Daniel cut her off with a peck on the lips.  
"Just let the boy live his own life for once." He softly chided her with a sad smile.  
"Not that you could do anything about it, not from here anyway", he thought glumly.


	2. Just Another Average Day Out Here

  
"Mister Oakmont? Sir? Mr. Howard's lookin' for ya." Stevens called meekly from outside the barn. He never went in because he was too scared of the farmer's cat that often slept in the loft.  
"I, need t' go Tabs," Danny mumbled, "Are you gonna be alright here?"  
"I think so. I- I might go out for a while, you know get some air, look in the shops. That sort of thing."  
"Alright," he turned to leave, "Say 'Hello' to Dale for me."  
Tabitha scowled at her husband, "How- you always do that!" Daniel just chuckled.  
Tabitha crossed her arms over her chest,"Hurmph."  
"Don't get yourself lost on the way to the bus station, this time." he called over his shoulder, as he followed Mark Stevens out to the field.  
"L'see what Howard wants now." he griped to the hand.  
"Poor, Danny. Howard'd invent a hundred things outta the air just for them to be doin' somethin' wrong."  
Tabitha laughed as she sat down to jot down a quick note to let her son know she'd be coming, she believed it to be rude to just show up out of nowhere.  
"...not that there'd be time to mail it, best take it with me, then." she mused stuffing the letter into her apron pocket. She proceeded to the bedroom to pack.  
"Might be there a while, depends. Now lets see," she rambled to herself as she packed, "Dale said he and Chip live with some other folks in a big tree in the city park, mice I think it was.  
He mentioned a lady inventor too, now was that that Foxglove girl or a different one, don't remember." She sighed, "Either way shouldn't make much difference. Now do I have everything? Hmm, oh, better rush over and ask Samson to keep an eye on the house for me."  
Tabitha leaned her suitcase against the bed, and hurried outside. She climbed up the wall to the hayloft where Samson lived with his parents.  
"On, second thought, maybe I should ask someone else. Sammy might be busy. Oh that's right there isn't anyone else to ask is there," She laughed, "Poor Sammy, has to do everything. Hope he's in."  
Tabby knocked on the door. No answer. She tried again. Still no answer.  
"Great, just great." she growled to herself, "he's not home."  
"I guess I'll just have to make sure everything's locked up before I set out.  
I could ask Tom, but I'd like the place to be there when I get back." 


	3. A Letter and a Visitor

"Mail for," the crow paused to check his list, "The Rescue Rangers."  
"Hmm?" Foxglove asked not quite awake.  
"Mail for the Rescue Rangers, Ma'am." the mail crow said again.  
"Oh. Thank you," Foxy yawned, "I'll take it in."  
"Your welcome, Ma'am. Have a nice uh," he gave the bat a sideways look, "day." He'd never seen a bat that was awake in the day. Strange, strange, strange.  
The pink bat just giggled as the black mail bird flew off.

The Rangers all gathered round as Foxy and Gadget passed out the mail.  
"New 'Red Badger of Courage' for you, Cutie," Foxglove said handing Dale the shrink-wrapped comic.  
"Cheese magazine for Monty," Gadget said looked around confused.  
"Over here, Gadget luv," Monterey tapped her shoulder from behind her.  
"Oh, there you are. Here's your magazine, Monty." Gadget smiled and went back to sorting the last of the mail.  
It was mostly junk mail, the ones with a far amount of blank space Gadj. pocketed for scrap paper.  
"Letter for you Chip, from Tammy I think," Gadget said, checking the address.  
"Great, I'll add it to my collection." Chip sighed.  
"You should write back to her, Chipper," Dale teased.  
"Hey, look! Here's another letter." Zipper squeaked pointing to blue envelope on the floor.  
"You're right," Foxy said, "I must have dropped it when I came in."  
"Who's it for?" Chip asked hoping it wasn't another letter from Tammy, or from her mother asking them to babysit Bink again.  
"Give me a minute," Foxy laughed taking the letter from Zipper.  
"It says. 'Dale Oakmont c/o The Rescue Rangers.'" Foxglove read, "From, Tabitha Oakmont. Cutie, who's Tabitha?" She asked Dale.  
"Isn't that your "cousin", mate?" Monty asked.  
"Y-yeah. That's what I said. Isn't it?" Dale replied defensively, "Wait, you don't believe me do you?"  
"Dale," Chip tried, "they, it's hard to explain."  
"You told them, didn't you!" Dale said accusingly jumping at Chip, "You told them everything!"  
"Hey, I did not!" Chip yelled.  
"Did so!" Dale yelled back.  
"Did not!"  
"Did so!"  
"Did not!"  
"Did so!"  
"Did not!"  
"Did so!"  
"Did not!"  
"Did-"  
"Boys! That is enough!" Tabitha hollered storming up to the battling munks, grabbing each one by an arm trying to pull them apart.  
Monty stepped up and grabbed Chip around the waist, while Tabby grabbed Dale's other arm to hold him still.  
Dale glared at Chip. Chip growled back, his ears flat against his head.  
"Now, Dale lad," Monty said calmly, "Chipper didn't tell nobody nuthin'.  
Yer Mum just happen t' be here this morin' an' Zip and me was headed out to the docks when we meet her.  
When we got back, she invited herself along, we let her in. She tried to take over my-the kitchen. So me an' Zipper decided,"  
"You decided," Zipper corrected.  
Monty continued ignoring the fly, "to give 'er the grand tour of the place, well the best we could with everybody sleepin' that is.  
She went out for a while. Gadget, and you, and Chip woke up, we had breakfast, and then Foxglove brought in the mail."  
"Told you," Chip sneered.  
"You didn't know anything, until Monterey Jack told you," Dale snapped back.  
The Aussie mouse sighed deeply, "Gonna be one o' those kinda days, isn't." Zipper nodded sadly.  
"Golly, it sure looks like it," Gadget agreed.


	4. No Way to Make a Clean Break

"So Tabitha, er Mrs. Oakmont ...she's" Gadget asked confused.  
"Just call her Tabby. Most people do," Chip responded helpfully, "Like Monty said she's Dale's mother."  
"Why did Dale say the letters she sent were from his cousin?" Zipper asked.  
"Da- I don't know. You'll have to ask Dale about it." Chip lied. He hated lying, especially to the Rangers, but if they found out ...  
"It's better this way," Chip thought, "Dale'll tell them, something. They'll stop asking after a while."

Dale was in the room he shared with Chip. A torn blue envelope in the trash bin, crumbled piece of paper that hadn't quite made it in lay near it.  
Dale was laying face down on the top bunk, the contents of the discarded letter still running through his mind.  
_Dear Dale,  
How are things in the city? How are you and Chip doing out there? What all have the rangers been up to lately?  
We miss you boys, please come and visit sometime.  
Things around here are about the same as they ever are. Unca Oakie's took another turn for the worse I'm afraid. Samson's working overtime to pay the bills. Auntie's frazzled, she getting too old to really do much anymore. Andy went to the hospital with her to visit Unca Oakie Tuesday, and we went over to visit with her yesterday, keep her company.  
We haven't told her yet, but Sammy says that the doctor doesn't think theres much hope. He's not on his deathbed yet, but seems it'll only be a matter of time. Doctor says maybe five more years at the very most.  
Not the nicest thing to think about, but he is old. His younger brother and sister, not to mention their parents, are already gone._

_I went in to see Unca Oakie this morning. He was talking quite a bit. He was joking saying, "If I do mange to get outta here, I'd bet a cat'd up an' catch me. So, I'm stayin' in here."  
On a more pleasant note Misty's walking now, well running's is more like it.  
'Cyclone Misty, away!' the twins shout when she comes over.  
Speaking of which the Resident Psychopath's been at me all week now. Don't see why he can't bug Danny, instead.  
Keeps going on about us needing all kindsa whatsits and dodads like the farmer has.  
I really don't see whats wrong with the way we've been doing things, but you know how Tom is, once he grabs onto an idea he won't let it go.  
I just hope that Arnold Howard doesn't hear Tom carrying on. Mr. Howard, as I've told you before, has caused more problems this year then we've ever had. He always thinks his way's the right one and all the rest of us that have been harvesting almonds our whole lives, for generations back in most cases, have no idea how to do anything especially if almonds are involved!  
If that squirrel was still working for us, instead of Daniel working for him (just this year, thankfully), I'd sure give him a good piece of my mind about this whole business.  
But your father seems to put up with him anyway, don't know why, but there must be a reason for it.  
He's been getting his dizzy spells again if he works too long. Nobody seems to notice it, Mr. Howard works him pretty hard. I'd worry, but it wouldn't help.  
I learned that years ago when his heart tried to quit on him. I worried then and it got so I was such a wreck I couldn't think straight. I know better then t' worry, its just a waste of time._

_I'm coming by for a visit. I know it's short notice, but I've missed you so much, I had to come by. Hope you don't mind too much.  
Maybe you can introduce me to those nice girls you told me about. See you soon.  
Love,  
Mom_

To Dale it when more like this:

_Unca Oakie's gonna die soon.  
When are you gonna get married?  
Unca Oakie's gonna die  
When are you gonna get married?  
Unca Oakie's dying. By the way, when are you gonna get married?  
When are you gonna get married?  
Unca Oakie  
hospital  
not much time.  
when you  
gonna die  
get married  
doctor said  
When you  
five years  
get married  
not much time  
when  
dizzy spells  
Misty's walking  
you  
harvest  
get married  
Dale  
Dale?_  
"Dale? Can you hear me?" Chip asked hanging from the side of the bunk.  
He crawled onto the top bunk and poked his friend casually.  
"Are you still asleep?" Chip questioned the inert form before him.


	5. Oil and Water

A dark pelted chipmunk marched determinedly up to a tree carrying a stick of dynamite.  
The farmer, on his tractor swung his head around at the sound, "Must have been a gun shot," his eyes scanned the area. Not seeing any threats he continued with his work.  
The chipmunk lay on his back stunned. He mentally checked himself for injuries, finding only a few good scrapes and marking where the bruises would soon be, he sat up grinning,  
"I gotta try that again!" he ran toward the shed.  
Quick as he'd been gone he was back again. Working on something that looked like a catapult with several sticks of dynamite scattered around it.  
His wife bonked him on the head, "Do you want to get killed!"  
He stood up facing her and made a sweeping motion with his hand across the numerous other chipmunks harvesting almonds, "They'd like it if I was gone."  
She had that look on her face.  
"Urk!" A hand slapped him hard on the back.  
"Well, why would you want to do that for?" Daniel smirked.  
"If you kill yourself, I'd have to pay someone to do your share of the work!"  
"And we can't have that, now can we." Tom smiled rudely back at his father-in-law.  
Twins Zip and Zap had found their father's latest project laying there.  
Zap held a stick of dynamite and a lit match while Zap chanted, "Light it, light it, light it, light it!"  
Tom grabbed Zap, dynamite and all, by the back of his blue kerchief with his left hand and blew out the match. Then he grabbed Zip by his red kerchief with his right hand.  
He turned to block her, as Melissa ran up to see what was going on. He tucked Zip under his arm and switched Zap to his other hand scooping up Misty with his left arm.  
"Need any help?" Andrea asked.  
"Naw, we're fine." Thomas said.  
"Next time you commit suicide, don't leave the poison where they can get to it." Andy called from over head, in an almond tree, throwing down the green fruit.  
"I'll remember that. Next time I'll just leave the box under the rope," Tom answered switching Zap from his hand to his side next to Zip.  
"Are we in trouble, Daddy?" the twins chorused.  
"Depends. Is Mommy happy?" Tom walked toward their house.  
"No. Mommy not happy, Melissa supplied for them, "She very not happy. Very very not happy." The boy's heads drooped.  
"I'm a big girl," Misty announced, "I didn't do bad stuffs. Right, Daddy?  
"Not that I know of, at this moment. When you do you'll know." Tom replied.  
All things considered, he was feeling good and so he began to hum. The same tune and 'song' as he always did when felling good.  
"What'cha doin? Zip asked.  
"Nothing." his Daddy said.  
"I know that song!" this was Zap now, "Sing Daddy! Sing!"  
He didn't have to be asked twice (or once most of the time) so he did.  
Tom sang sarcastically as he walked  
"Momma, you lookin' for me?" He glanced up at the sky.  
"I'm here, where you left me, 'neath the old Maple tree." He smirked,  
"Hey, Momma look sharp.  
My eyes are wide open, my face to the sky." They passed the farmer cursing at his stalled tractor.  
"Is that you, I'm hearin' in the tall grass nearby?"  
Tom quickened his pace. His opinion was that if his kids were gonna hear swearing they'd hear it from there own father, thank you very much.  
He continued laughing, Momma come find me before I do die!  
Look sharp. Here I be!"  
He sang loudly, "You lookin' for me?  
I'm here where you left me 'neath the Maplewood. See?  
Hey Momma look sharp." His 'song' was winding down and they'd could see the house now.  
It was built mostly from cinder-blocks, due to Tom's inventions exploding quite often, the cement could take quite a beating between repairs far better than wood could.  
Tom ushered the kids inside. He switched the security system for his workshop to the lowest (and only non-lethal) setting.  
He locked the door, and started up on the 'song' again, "I'm here in the farmyard 'neath the old Oak tree.  
Hey Momma, Momma please die." Tom sang softly.  
"Stay in prison," He hissed toward Her, "and die."  
A breeze blew by and he thought he heard a voice singing.  
Her voice singing, "I'll close your eyes, my baby.  
Eyes that cannot see.  
I'll bury you, my boy 'neath the ... "  
He couldn't catch the last of it, but it gave him the chills none the less.


	6. Enduring Mother

Chip and Dale sat with baited breath, heads pressed against their door. Tabitha was out there talking to Gadget and Monty, about them. About the family and things the boys had done when they were little.  
"... Dale was pretty little at the time. And he was playing with Chip over at Arthur's. Arthur Maplewood's, Chips Dad. Not Arthur Oakmont, that'd be my father-in-law, late father-in-law.  
So Chip n Dale were at Chip's house playing. And Tom, Chip's brother, was over there doing something. Anyway Dale got hold of a match or a lit candle, something with fire. And he crawled under the old loveseat, that used to be in the back room there. You don't know what I'm talking about do you?  
I get so used to talking to kin that I forget not everyone's heard these stories a hundred times over. Anyway, Dale was under the loveseat with fire, however that works, and the edge that hangs down on the loveseat caught fire. And he got scared and backed out of there right quick. Now Chip saw him come out and ran to get me, yelling about Dale's head being on fire.  
And it was, that boy! We got the flames put out. Dale wasn't hurt really, just a little scared at first. He kept touching the top of his head, where the hair had burned off, going 'ow' when he touched it. Didn't think his hair'd grow back but it did, and he learned to steer clear of Tom from then on," Tabby laughed.  
"Who's Tom? I didn't catch, are there two Arthurs or just one?" Foxglove asked perplexed.  
"Ok. This is how it works," the chipmunk began, "First you need to go back a ways and start with Alexander Oakmont and his wife. They had three children, despite what some people say about Elie. So they had three children: Oakland Oakmont aka Unca Oakie, Arthur Oakmont my late father-in-law, and Elinore who married a fellow called Maplewood.  
Now Arthur Oakmont married Shellbie, what her given name is I don't know but it aint Shellbie. Arthur and his wife had a son named Daniel Oakmont. I married Daniel and we have two grown children. Andrea's the oldest, and she married Thomas Ferris. Tom and Andy have a set of identical twin boys and a little girl. I have three grandchildren: Zap, Zip, and Melissa.  
Dale is my second child, so you'd know if I had anymore grandchildren better than I would. That's Arthur Oakmont's line, now Elie ..."  
Chip cut her off, "You forgot about Unca Oakie and who he married and about Samson."  
"Yeah," Dale added, "talk about Sammy!" Tabitha smiled, she'd lured them out.  
"I did forget didn't I?" She started up again, "Unca Oakie as I said is Alexander's eldest son. He married Clara, Clara... oh, I forget what her maiden name used to be. Anyway Oakie married Clara, they married a bit latter on than most, and they have a son named Samson.  
Now his parent married latter and he was born quite a bit latter".  
"Let's see," she mentally added and subtracted in her head, "He was born in the middle, so he'd be about two years younger than Andrea and ... no that not right. He be..."  
"Three," said Dale, "Three younger than her and three older than me."  
"Thank you. Samson's always kept to himself, since he really didn't really have anyone his own age around. He's a sweet boy, real quite too. He's a bit odd looking though, not that it's bad really. He's a handsome boy, but he doesn't look like an Oakmont. Y'see, Most Oakmont men look, well... My husband and his father, and his grandfather, and Unca Oakie, all look like... well, like Dale does."  
Her son glared at her, "Try growing up in a family where mostly everyone shares your face, and then go to school were no one does! They looked like him," he pointed at Chip, "and some looked like you."  
"Well, I hope that school let's girls in by now," Tabby joked. Dale just sulked.  
"Weren't there Arthurs?" Foxglove asked. Monty winced, his head was still reeling from Tabby's talking.  
"Yes," Tabitha explained, "You see Elinore, Oakie and Arthur's little sister? She married some man named Maplewood, and their son was named Arthur Maplewood after his Uncle, Arthur Oakmont. Now Arthur Maplewood had a son," she points to Chip, "and married a nice girl that happens to be named Alice.  
Alice is Chip's stepmother. I don't mean the other "Alice", but Alice. Understand? 'course you do.  
Then Tom Ferris is Sam Ferris' boy and Chipper's brother," she finished.  
"Half brother," Chip mumbled.  
"Did you say something, Chip?" Gadget asked.  
"No, nothing," he looked away.  
"If you folks have anymore questions about the boys, just let me know, alright." Tabby said cheerfully.  
"Naw, we're alright." Monty stated, he did not want her to talk anymore.  
"Welacually," Here it comes Monty thought bracing himself.  
"You said sometime about two Alices? One is Chip's stepmother. What about the other? You did say there were two chipmunks named Alice, I guess they'd be chipmunks, though they could be mice, or squirrels, or ..."  
"Alice is Chip's stepmother." Tabbitha cut in.  
"What about, the other Alice?" Monty was getting curious, despite his headache.  
"The other," Tabitha paused, "is Her," She left it at that, and wouldn't say anymore about it.

Tabitha stayed the night. Chip sat next to Dale on the top bunk.  
"The Rangers know too much," Chip stated deadpan.  
"But it could get worse! She could tell them ... more," Dale mused bitterly.  
"Yeah," Chip agreed, "So how do we get rid of her?"  
"What are you asking me for? Your the big shot leader!" Dale jumped up, forget he was on the top bunk, hitting his head.  
"Ow." He rubbed his head, "That was your fault."  
"My fault!  
Howcouldthatbemyfault! Iwasn'tanywherenearyou!"  
"Wellyoumademehitmyheadontheceling!"  
"Youhityourownhead!"  
"Ididnot!"  
"Didtoo!"  
"Didnot"  
"Didtoo!"  
"Didnot!"  
"Didtoo!"  
"Didnot!"  
"Didtoo!"  
"Didnot!"  
"Didtoo!"  
"Didnot!"  
"Didtoo!"  
"Didnot!"  
"Didtoo!"  
"Didnot!"  
"Didtoo!"  
"Didnot!"  
"Did too, Dale!" Chip proclaimed smacking his "cousin" with his own pillow.  
"Did not," Dale grinned, grabbing for the pillow.  
A tug-a-war started, it ended with a torn pillow, a roomful of white duck feathers, a broken top bunk, and two chipmunks on the floor.  
The chipmunks then decided to flip each other for the remaining bed, looser sleeps on the couch.  
Chip helped Dale move the remains of his bed off Chip's bed and swapped sheets. He'd voted to forgo the coin toss and just give Dale the remaining bunk, after all it was Dale's bed that got busted not his. Besides it wasn't that bad on the couch, and it was closer to Gadget.


	7. The Other One

Jake turned over, her nose was wedged in his ear. "What is it with her and my ears," the kangaroo rat thought annoyed.  
She ran her finger along the edge of his ear and snuggled closer. "That's it!" he thought getting out of bed.  
"Did I wake you?" She asked, sitting up.  
"No," He lied. He had no problems lying to her.  
"It's my shift in the Tower, Sparky could probably use some sleep," He'd gotten used to saying it, even after all this time.  
He entered the control room, put his hand on the back of the chair and addressed the woman sitting there, "I'm takin' over here, luv."  
"My chair," she countered.  
"Blue, this is my place. Move." he ordered.  
She swiveled the chair to face him, "I work here too, Dad."  
"And now yer bein' relieved of duty for the night. Move." he replied.  
"Make me," she challenged spinning the chair back around.  
"Alroight, I will." he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out of the chair.  
She grabbed the back of the chair with her free hand, the force of his pull on her other arm caused it to roll across the room and hit the wall.  
Sounds could be heard coming from his room, beneath them. "She's still here isn't she," the redhead glared at her father.  
"What if she is? She'll most likely disappear again before long," Jake retorted, releasing her arm as he walked over to retrieve the chair.  
"I don't want her here. I hate her. I want her gone, now!" Blue hissed.  
"Easy there, Mrs. Jacobs." Jake warned sharply, "I know you don't like her. I'm not asking you to like her, but you will show her some respect. She is your mother and as such you oughta respect her for that, if nothing else."  
"Respect her?!" she asked astonished, "Her?! She's ruined hundreds of people's lives including my own, yours no doubt, and my brothers'! And you want me to respect her?! What has she done to earn my respect? Name one thing, one reason, for me to respect her!"  
He turn back to the control panel, rolling the chair behind him.  
"You want just one reason? I gave you one. She's your mother, what other reason do you need? That not enough? I'll give you some more then. She gave birth to you, like it or not. There's a reason. That makes two, if you're keepin' score," he replied scornfully, "How 'bout that, despite the fake name she had t' use at the time, she an' I are married, so she's my wife. That's three, now.  
If I add your lil' brothers both half and full blooded, that'd be six. Shall I continue, or are you not done telling me what I already know, and have lived through time and again?"  
"Sorry, Dad," She responded meekly, ears drooping, "I still don't want her here, but I didn't mean to cause more trouble."  
He sighed, "You should get some sleep, sweetheart." He smiled at her as she turned to go.  
"She has it rough doesn't she?" the chipmunk said smirking as she walked into the room Blue had just exited, "a good job, nice home, free of charge I might add. A caring father, a devoted husband, and two small children.  
In a word, she's pathetic."  
He had heard her come in. "The door's right where you left it, Alice. This area's "Authorized Personal Only", and we both know you aren't either one," he told her.  
She advanced slowly, wrapping her arms around back of his chair, keeping her gloved hands balled up and tucked in toward herself, as she leaned forward.  
"I think, in this case, you could make an exception," she was holding something in her hand, something that caught the light just so.  
"You forget who you're dealing with, luv. I know you almost as well as you do," he said pining her to the floor. The strip of plastic wrap fluttered harmlessly down to settle on the floor behind them.  
"Almost isn't good enough, She whispered in his ear, as she jabbed the syringe into his chest. Jake gasped, his eyes glazed over, then he collapsed on top of her.  
"That went well," she remarked to herself as she crawl out from under him. With still gloved hands she arranged him nicely in his chair, for their daughter to find in the morning.


	8. By Blood

Chip thanked him and began to unwrap the package.  
"I wonder what it is," he said excitedly.  
"It says here, that's it's from ... Australia?!" Dale warned him, but it was too late.  
Chip lifted the hat out of it's box delicately as if it would break.  
"His hat," was all he could say.  
"Is- is there a note or something?" Dale asked worriedly, "Uh, Chip? Chipper?"  
"His h-hat," his best friend whimpered still in shock, dropping the box. A bit of paper remained in the otherwise empty box.  
"Look, Chip, here's a note!" Dale cried excitedly, "Don't worry Chip, I'll bet it explains everything! I bet everythings just fine and ..." Dale turned pale as he read the note.  
"Dead. H-he can't ..." Dale stared at the hat still in Chip's hand. Neither of them moved for a long time. They just stood there staring at the hat, shocked by what it meant. And that's exactly how Gadget found them a short time later, standing there, Chip holding a hat, while both munks stared at it silently.  
"Guys, a-are you two ok?" she asked worried.  
"F-fine," Chip was the first to snap out of it, followed by Dale.  
"J-just peachy," the red nosed munk mumbled. As if a switch has been pushed both chipmunks walked slowly, hat still in hand, to their room.  
"Golly, that was strange," the lady inventor exclaimed, "Maybe Monty knows what's wrong with them." She hurried to the kitchen.

Tabitha sat down, next to Chip and Dale, on Chip's bunk.  
"Looks like somebody'll need to tell them what's going on, doesn't it." she said, referring to the Rangers. Chip timidly held out the hat for her to inspect, Dale held out the note. Tabitha flipped the hat over and peered inside it.  
"There's something wedged in here," she murmured, trying to dislodge the object. She pulled her hand out slowly, now holding a thick dampened and yellowed envelope. She unsealed it and read the contents to herself.

"Looks like you have a case, detectives," she grimaced, "Its Jake's will. Chip gets the hat, Blue gets Mudwop Tower, both you boys get a little cash, and it seems a case too. Says you two are to report to Barnard and Bianca O'Neil at R.A.S. HQ immediately," she hesitated, "you're to ask 'em about the 'Chippendale Project', whatever that is, seems it's got something to do with Her."  
"I need to be getting back home," she stated firmly, "you both know, I'm needed at the farm. Besides you boys are the detectives in the family, not me."  
"Though," she chuckled, "Tom'll be awful sore at me for not even attempting to get him Gadget's autograph, or anything else pertaining to 'The Lady of the Workshop'."  
She sighed, "Are you boys, gonna be alright?"  
"We'll have to tell them the truth now," Chip replied, then smiled grimly, "Great Uncle Arthur sure was right."  
His red nosed twin joined him in reciting Arthur Oakmonts words of wisdom, "You can only fudge the truth so much before you trap yourself in it. And fudged truth is a mess that's hard to clean up." they knew the rest of it, but didn't want to say it.  
So Tabby finished her father-in-law's words for them, "And that kinda clean up can hurt, a lot." The boys nodded unhappily. Dale went to get his adoptive mother's suitcase, and Chip went to call the others together for a meeting. It would be a long day.


	9. RAS

**R.A.S.!**

One of our two dozen prototype micro syringes, imported form the Thorn Valley medical labs, is missing.  
The only lead we have so far as to the thief responsible is a note, found at the scene of the crime.  
It reads:

_I'm back.  
Sorry for the mess, but I needed to borrow one of the syringes,  
I doubt you'll want it after I'm done with it.  
_

_- Chippendale Beta 00001  
_

_Project Chippendale enters phase two_


	10. By Law

"We were adopted out soon after we were born, into opposite ends of a big family." Chip told them. Tom our half brother, he's ten years older than us, lived with our birth mother till he was nine. Then he lived with his father Samuel Ferris for a year. Sam could barely support himself at the time let alone Tom, so the courts ruled that Tom would go into foster care, or something. My dad, adoptive dad anyway, was friends with Sam Ferris and he had it arranged so that Tom could live with us, me and my adoptive parents. Tom was eleven when they adopted him.  
When I was thirteen he married Dale's sister Andrea. That was also when he told me that the person I'd thought was my mother, was my stepmother. Really she's my adoptive mother. I don't think Tom really knew what was going on at the time, except that we had the same birth mother. I've known that I was adopt for sometime now. I know that my birth mother had a daughter named Blue before Tom was born. Blue lives with her father in Australia, well actually our father. I don't know all of the story, but I know enough. Too much."  
"Golly!" Gadget was stunned and nearly speechless.  
"What about you Dale? Got anything to add?" Monty asked.  
"I found out I was adopted about eight years ago, three years before we formed the Rangers. My da- er. He, we had an argument. Y'see he's a not just a farmer, he's also a great fencer. And I could never be as good as he is! He keeps saying I'll be better than him someday, but I can't even come close to what he can do!"  
Dale took a ragged breath before continuing, "He ... we said stuff we shouldn't 'a said. I took a few swings at him and knocked him down," Dale hung his head at this part, "I said I hated him, wished he wasn't my father, he, he ... he said I s-should be glad t-th-then cause he isn't!" Dale broke down sobbing.


	11. Only Mice Beyond This Point

Barnard, Bianca, the Rangers, and Foxglove sat in a small windowless room, they had been discussing Jake's will.  
"According to this," Chip pointed to a section of the will, "the two of you were involved in something called 'Project Chippendale'. Judging from Jake's will Dale and I may be somehow involved with this project, though we've never heard of it before. What exactly is 'Project Chippendale'?"  
"It was my idea and it was a failure," Bianca relied sadly,  
"Did you see any squirrels when you came in? Any chipmunks? Birds? Anyone other than mice?" The Rangers all shook their heads.  
"It has always been that way, with the exception of field agents like Jake, all R.A.S. agents are mice." she continued wiping her eyes now and then, "I thought and still think, that it is unfair. I wanted to changed things so that other animals could join R.A.S. After all we are called The Rescue Aid Society not The Rescue Mice Society."  
Seeing his wife was finding it harder to composed herself, Bernard stepped in where she'd left off, "Project Chippendale was a very small side project Bianca and I took on years ago. She selected the first and last non-mouse R.A.S. agent to accompany us on a mission. Needless to say things went wrong. The chipmunk Bianca chose was Tabitha Chippendale, the project was named after her. She had disappeared when Bianca and I were leaving Australia, only to show up again later to tell us she'd be taking the human plane back rather than returning with us by Albatross Air.  
Miss Chippendale was declared MIA when the plane she was returning on crashed, latter she was listed among those that had been killed."  
"But it was a lie. She had faked it somehow. The girl that had been identified as Tabitha Chippendale wasn't her. She's still out there somewhere," Bianca cried bitterly.  
We did a good deal of research at the time and turned up a lot of information," Bernard continued, "but it was all past tense. She had done this or she did do that x time ago.  
We did find she used the alias 'Alice Maplewood' for a while, and the name 'Susan Davis' in one town years ago," Bernard said.  
"Most recently she was identified as Mrs. Alice Jerboa, formerly Alice Roseberry" Bianca threw in coldly.  
"The closest thing we have to a real clue to anything would be this," Bernard showed the Rangers the note signed by Chippendale Beta 00001.  
"Hmm. How many people were working on this Project Chippendale?," Monty asked.  
"Just us two and Tabitha, it was a very low budget project," Bianca said grimly.  
"Looks like you six have a case." Bernard said sticking the note into a thick file labeled 'Project Chippendale' and passed it to Chip, for safe keeping.  
"Us?! What about the R.A.S. aren't you guys doing anything about this?!" Dale asked shocked.  
"Can't," Bernard shook his head, "The higher ups nixed it. It's up to you, Rangers."


	12. Boom!

"We don't have much to go on. The syringe was empty when it was stolen, but who knows what Alice er, Tabi- She put in it or what it was used for. I vote we sleep on it for tonight and try to sort through things in the morning," Chip said raising his hand, the others, too tired to argue, agreed.  
Foxglove was out hunting around Ma's Diner when she heard a faint sound coming from the back. She pinged into the darkness, her sonar reviling a chipmunk silhouette sneaking out of the Diner. Foxy saw nothing odd about this. It was only a chipmunk that had lucked out on Ma's throw aways. It was rather late for snacking, though Dale was also given to late late night snacking, perhaps this chipmunk was from similar stock.  
The shadowy figure scurried down the street and slipped down into a storm drain. Minutes later the Diner burst, shrapnel flew everywhere, the building collapsed. The Rangers awoke to the sounds of the explosion. As they headed out to help, a piece of fabric blocked their way out the door it had been pinned there with a saftypin.  
It read:

_Hey, detectives.  
Catch me if you can._

_-- Chippendale Beta 00001_

Chip pocketed the note and the Rangers nearly ran over Foxglove who had just returned from an unsuccessful nights hunt to wait for breakfast.  
Foxglove told them what she had seen at the Diner. The Rangers hurried to Ma's, or what was left of it anyway. Surprisingly no one was hurt. The police had formed a barricade around the Station which was missing a wall across to the bank which wasn't quite as damaged.  
Kurby was already cuffing an unpleasant looking and very skinny man, holding the hose of a vacuum, when the Rangers arrived.  
"Golly, It looks like that man was using Kordane's tunnels to dig up into the bank!" Gadget deduced.  
"The Diner was just a diversion!" Chip exclaimed.  
"Too bad he went the wrong way," Dale laughed.  
"Too roight, he busted right up inta the police station!" Monty chuckled. Zipper laughed along with the others.


	13. Waking Up

"Wakie wakie Jakie." She was leaning over him. Everything was blurred. It was too bright. Was he dead?  
No not dead. He could feel pain and stiffness.  
He put a hand up to pull his hat over his face to block out the bright light, his hat was gone.  
"Guess by now she deserves a souvenir that doesn't whine or call 'er Mummy."  
It was dark now and something was shaking him.  
Jake opened his eyes no one there the shaking'd stopped. He was in a bed at a hospital from the looks of it - bright white sanitized everything all around.  
A chubby mouse was slumped down in the chair beside him asleep. Blue'd be in later to drag her husband off to wherever he was supposed to be Jake mused.  
"William's been here all night. He and your daughter have been taking turns sitting in here with you," the doctor replied from the doorway. Jake's head snapped around at the voice.  
"This is the first time you've done anything since you've been here," the doctor stated in response to Jake's puzzled look.  
"H-how," his voice cracked a bit from disuse, "How long have I been here 'doctor'. Better yet, what have you done to me while I was here." He stared hard at the mouse before him.  
"Mr. Jeraboa, you have been in a coma for a full month now. We have done little but monitor your vital signs to see if you're still alive from day to day," he answered tersly. Ever since that overdramatic albatross went about slandering the hospital's good name no one trusted him anymore.  
"A month," Jake grimaced, "Explains why it feels like I got someone else's legs."  
"Yes. Well, now that you're wake there are some visitors for you. They've been waiting quite some time," the doctor said leafing through the chart in his hand.  
Jake managed to get himself into a sitting position after a few tries, "Might as well send 'em in doc".  
"Very well, if you feel up to it," the doctor said narrowing his eyes at his patent, then promptly left the room.


	14. Solving a Puzzle

They'd been going over the Chippendale file for days now. There had been very little in it that the boys hadn't already known about. So it was easy to sort things into true, false, and don't know. But as Bernard had said it was all old news. The last entry was from at lest ten years ago.  
"We've gone through this thing a hundred times," Dale complained.  
"No we haven't," Chip rebuffed him, "There must be a clue in here somewhere."  
"Welaccualy, we've only read all the way through it seventeen times," Gadget answered from overhead whiles replacing a light bulb.  
"There must be a common theme in these reports. Something we can use to learn where "Alice" is or how to interpret her next move," Chip cried in despair.  
"The only thing I've learned is how to spell Australia. She went to Australia married Jake, live x years in Australia, left Australia to go here or there, left where ever to go back to Australia. It's everywhere," Dale grumbled from lack of sleep.  
"That's it!" Chip exclaimed, "Dale you're a genius!"  
"I am? Why am I?" The red-nosed munk asked sleepily.  
"You found the clue," Chip said happily waging his tail.  
"Rescue Rangers A-" Dale yawned, "way.' and fell asleep.


	15. Summary of the Life a GirlMother

Chip strode purposely into the cardboard box that served as a private room within the Medic Truck turned animal's hospital.  
"I've been informed that you know something about a Mrs. Alice Jeraboa. Could you please tell us what you know?" Chip asked eyes shut in triumph at finding such a lead.  
Dale stood next to him stunned and began pulling on his sleeve, "C-Chip, it's a g-g-ghost!"  
Chip opened his eyes and jumped back in surprise. Jake looked the strangers over carefully.  
"Who's been sayin' I killed over?" He asked the detectives bemused.  
Chip took his hat off reached inside and pulled out Jake's hat.  
"I got this in the mail last week," he said as he hand Jake his hat.  
The kangroo rat turned it over in his hands a few times.  
"Mom found the - your, uh the thing in there," Dale stammered still not sure it this was a ghost before him or not.  
Jake groaned then he began to laugh. The munks looked puzzled.  
"Thet sheila sent ya on a wild chase didn't she!" He grinned. "That lot a paper is older than ...a no good trouble makin' red head I can think of," his eyes locked with Blue's, who was right outside the door.  
"Huh? Bianca and Bernard from the Rescue Aid Sociaty said we had a case that ..." Dale started.  
"Eh? Wat's Ms. B n' Bruno been tellin' ya?" Jake drawled staring at the red-nosed munk.  
"They gave us this," Chip pushed the Chipendale file into Jake hands suddenly.  
He barely glanced at it. "What's it say lads." he stated sternly.  
"Um, that "Alice" ran away from Bianca and Bernard and stayed here when she wasn't supposed to. She kill someone I think, and uh alota stuff's not in there," Chip stammered nervously while being confronted by his birth father.  
"She did bad stuff?" Dale squeaked meekly from behind his twin.  
Jake rolled his eyes, "I can list all the crimes she every committed. Any others, didn't happen.  
She ditched Ms. B an' Bruno 'cause she wanted to. She lied to 'em about goin' back to the States. She did get on a plane that was going to New York and it did crash. Another sheila that looked a mite like Alice got killed. Alice did somethin' so that when the authorities identified the girl they thought she was Alice," Jake stated.  
"Hold up there, mate," Monty interjected, "The lass that died had ta be identified by 'er dental records to know who she was!"  
"And I say, mate. That Alice fixed it. I asked 'er and she ain't tellin' how she done it, but I know she did it," Jake declared.  
"What else did she do? Chip and Dale said there was a lot left out in the reports," Gadget spoke up quietly.  
"She ran off, lied, faked her death, came back here,"Jake counted them off as though they were written in the air before him.  
He continued, "after a ... while we got married and Blue came a long, I got her mad at me and she tried ta run off - took Blue with 'er. She an' Blue got separated. Alice end up in the States - figure that's where Tom comes in.  
Blue got found and sent to an orphanage then foster care - jumping from one place to another, that's when I found her. Took her home and did what I could ..."  
He raised his voice a bit seeing Blue sneaking into the back of the room, "She never did forgive 'er mum for what she'd been though."  
He saw Blue duck her head and his tone softened a little, "After that Alice came back again with her little boy and things got back to the way they were before - well mostly."  
"About the time you boys were due to arrive she disappeared. Went to see her Dad. She left you with them. He and her Step-mum were awful old and they passed on a year later. I figure they put you up for adoption a little before then.

She cried alot. Stayed in the bedroom, wouldn't come out," his eyes grew misty from the memories.  
"Things turned out," he shrugged, "She comes an' goes whenever.

So aside from running off a few times, lying when it suits her, the whole 'playin' dead', Tom more or less (not that I've anything against him personally), stealing from the R.A.S. medical wing, her possibly tryin' ta kill me, and her natural flightiness, I'd say she hasn't done anything at all. She just likes to cause mischief."  
Everyone just stared in shock at Jake.  
"D-do you know where she is?" Chip asked finally finding his voice.  
"Ya wanta know where Alice is right now - this very instant?" They nodded.  
"I know.  
I'm not telling, but I know," Jake grinned.


	16. Reality or Twilight Zone? You Choose

On a sandy beach a female chipmunk sat wearing a long blue and white striped shirt. She was board, again. She tossed a pebble into the air.  
"Heads I go watch Tom," she smiled, "he makes things go boom! What a sweet kid.  
Tales I'll go to Spain.  
Lands on it's edge, heads side remotely facing me, I'll spy on the twins.  
Faces the ocean I get to mess with Blue.  
Goes in the water I could check in on Jake. He should be up by now. That was a mean thing to do to him," Alice mused,  
"I'm over it."  
"If it falls out of sight I'll ..." before the pebble hit the sand she was gone.  
"Two scoops of vanilla please," she hopped from foot to foot on the hot pavement taking her ice cream and happily skipping off to sit on the grass.  
She accidentally bumped into a mouse coming the other way. "Oops sorry. Good thing I didn't get any ice cream on you huh?" she forced a smile onto her face bracing herself for anything.  
"Sorry Miss."  
"Actually Mrs." she switched the mound of melty goodness to her right hand and held out her now free left hand. Oddly enough he had also held out his left by default.  
"I guess we're both lefties,"she giggled, "Alice Jeraboa here. Pardon my stickiness it's getting hot out here. Hope you like vanilla as much as me."  
"No trouble. Geegaw Hackwrench, here." he teased back.  
"Are you making fun of me?" she smiled.  
"Never," he crossed his arms still smiling.  
"I'll have you know I'm married," she said stretching up to her full height on her tiptoes.  
He made a show of looking around, "Should I be concerned?"  
"Yes! I am very dangerous! See! This ice cream would rather melt than be in my presence!" she tried to lap up what was left of her ice cream, which had oozed down her arm. "Erk!" The ice cream had soaked cuff of her shirt.  
She jerked her arm wildy to get the ice cream out of her sleeve. She ended up dropping it and splattering Geegaw with vanilla ice cream. "Oops."  
He sighed, "No harm done," and took a glob of ice cream and dropped it on her head.  
"That's c-c-cold. And you're weird."  
"I am?"  
"Yes. You have a weird hat." she smile innocently up at him.  
"I should have kept walking .." he muttered to himself.  
"Yes, you should have, but you didn't!" she grinned evilly.  
He regarded her cautiously, "There's something wrong with you isn't there?"  
"May be. What's that on your head?"  
"Goggles." he said confused.  
"Why?"  
"I'm a pilot."  
"In the planes and the air and ..." she became agitated.  
"Yes, I ..."  
"I need to be over there now, bye." she ran off.  
"I hate planes. I hate planes." she grumbled to herself, "I hate planes. I hate ... now what is the fastest way to be going from here to somewhere else. Hmm..."

She stowed away in the cockpit of a commercial plane headed to Australia. On board she spied a small wooden box filling with cotton wedged in a corner out of sight.  
"I must have been here before," she told herself. She had soon shed her ice cream cover shirt and snuggled face down into the cotton.  
"Move it! I was here first!" a voice called out. Alice poked her head out of her makeshift nest.  
"Mine!" she growled ears back.  
The red-nose male chipmunk rolled his eyes. "Do you even know where you're going?"  
"Away from where I was." she wrapped the cotton around herself like a jacket.  
"Really," he looked annoyed, "This plane is head to Sydney Australia."  
"Good," she burrowed back into the box.  
"Weren't you just there?" he asked.  
"So. Jake's there and he loves me. That's all that matters," she stated crossly. She wanted to sleep.  
He lifted his fist to bonk her.  
"You can't do that! Mom said you have to be nice to me Jeffery or she'll write you out of her will!"  
He stared at her a moment before answering slowly, "Our mother, is dead. She has been dead for a very long time now Tabitha."  
She glared at him, "You're lying."  
"She is dead."  
"Is not!"  
"Is too!"  
"Is not!"  
"Is too!"  
"Isnot!"  
"Istoo!"  
"Isnot!"  
"Istoo!"  
"Isnot!"  
"Istoo!"  
"Isnot!"  
"Istoo!"  
"She is not!" Alice screamed.  
He bonked her. "You're not supposed to do that." she stuck out her tongue at him while and rubbed her head.  
"I give up," he threw his hands up in defeat, "You're insane!"  
"I know that. Now, go away." she'd curled up in the box again.  
"Whatever," he mumbled, "What'd I do to get a kid sister like her."  
"You beat me by being born first!" she yelled at his retreating form.  
It was quiet. She popped her head out. No one there.  
"Now I'm board again. Maybe I'll take a nap." She wadded up a bunch of cotton and hugged it to herself.  
"When I wake up I'll go to the tower and," she paused to think for a second, "today Blue won't be in the tower," she smile as her latest plain began to take form.  
"So Jakie'll be all alone ... I won't be board for long.  
Dingos beware! I'm coming home! Ah, fun fun fun." And with that thought she drifted off to sleep.

The End,  
or  
to be continued?


	17. Tying Up Loose Ends

'Alice' was arrested upon her arrival at Mudwop Tower. Jake had agreed to testify against her if needed.  
The Ranger had been asked to leave things to the animal police, who had recently picked up Alice's trail due to her dealings with a drug ring in Iowa earlier that year.  
The Rangers hadn't worked with the animal police much during their career. Chip had been shocked by the behavior of the animal laws, after being exposed to the humans laws through out his work for so long.  
Humans would never ask, let alone required relatives to testify against one another even if it was 'only in certain cases'. "They don't dismiss murder charges lightly either," Chip thought. "But they didn't have to deal with the issues of predator and prey situations the way the animal police do," he reminded himself.  
March had been a long month for the Rangers and they'd been happy to stay with Blue and her family during the trial, the police had wanted them close at hand in case they should be called as witnesses.  
In the end Tabitha Chipendale alias 'Alice Jeraboa', etc. was found guilty and sentence to life long imprisonment on Meyer Rock (off the coast of McDonald Island 2,500 miles southwest of Perth, Australia in the southern Indian Ocean).

"It was nice to finally meet you," Chip said as they bid farewell to their hosts on a crisp winter afternoon.  
"You'll have to head this way again when you have some time off. Maybe when it's warm, like December," Blue replied from the door where she was holding her son Andrew on her hip. Vanessa, her daughter, was hogging the rest of the doorway jumping up and down waving at everyone. Both children took after their father, the only visible sign of any chipmunk blood were the faint ghost stripes that ran down the boy's back which were covered by his sweater and jacket.  
"You could come by for the holidays," Jake teased, "And if you can't bare to be way from the cold that long we could head up to the mountains." He started on another tangent, "Say I ever tell ya about the time I wrestled a whole pack a dingos bare handed with one hand behind me back"  
"Twice, an' I was there," Monty stated sternly arms crossed as he stared down the kangaroo rat.  
"Nah, this was a different time, Mate," Jake brushed off Monty gaze and continued with his tall tale.  
Soon after the final good-byes had been said, the Ranger were on their way home.

Friday was a holiday so the boys were enjoying a three day weekend. Unfortunately they'd made the most of it by trying to help set up the fireworks display and were now house bound until evening.  
The house was built mostly from cinder-blocks, due to Tom's inventions exploding quite often, the cement could take quite a beating between repairs far better than wood could.  
Tom had ushered all three of the kids inside before switching the security system for his workshop to the lowest (and only non-lethal) setting before he locked them in.  
A breeze blew by, it would have been refreshing on that hot July day but the smoke that it carried and more importantly the direction it came from made Tom's blood run cold.  
The barn was on fire! Tom wasn't thinking he went into autopilot going more on instinct then rational though. He keyed in the passwords and access codes by memory his eyes never left the smokey horizon. An instant later he was on all fours racing toward the barn. The smoke stung in his eyes and made his lungs burn. He called out for his wife and in-laws, for Samson and Clara.  
He heard a loud cracking sound above him, the timbers of the roof came raining down.  
He was struck by a beam and blacked out.

Zip and Zap had been playing Chutes and Ladders with Misty but it quickly became boring and they wandered off to play in Tom's workshop while their sister was taking her afternoon nap. Once inside the work shop the boys when staight over to their dad's plane, the 'Gadget Hackwrench' by name. The boys had a great time bouncing around inside the aircraft pretending to be piolets til Misty came in.  
"What's all that noise?" the little red nosed lass asked look blearily for her big brothers from the doorway having just woken up. Her eyes widened as she realized what her siblings were up to. "Oooo, I'm telling! You are not possed to be in Daddy's workshop!" she yelled loudly wagging a finger at Zip and Zap through the cockpit window.  
The boys jumped at the voice talking over each other in a panic."No! Don't tell, Misty!" one shouted.  
"We didn't hurt anything! We were just looking!" the other cried out over his brother.  
"Just forget you saw us, ok?" the first pleaded.  
"We'll give you a ride if you just don't tell!" his twin called out suddenly knowing their sister wouldn't tell if she join in.  
Misty hesitated a few seconds then said, "Ok. But I get to be in th front," before running toward them on her chubby little legs, happy that her brothers wanted her to play with them.  
"Ok," Zap said while secretly sticking his tounge out at his twin for letting her play with them. "First you need to sit down and buckle up and then we'll see what these buttons do."  
The three little chimpmunks all straped themself in to the chairs provided and the boys starts pushing buttons at random. The teardrop shaped purple and yellow 'plane' lurched about jostling its occupents before spinning around in place and then it suddenly took off right through the back wall of the workshop. Zip and Zap just stared in shock as they watched the wall get closer and closer before it burst open letting them out. Misty had shreaked when they plowed through the contrete and out a into the open. Tryin to stop the air ship before they did anymore damage Zap pushed a green button and pulled a near by lever. This caused the 'Gadget Hackwrench' to go faster before pulling up into the sky!  
Zip push down hard on a blue button and then a red one which made the ship turn around and stop to hover in mid air. From there the three little chimpmunks could see the burning barn. Misty began crying loudly and the boys just stared for a moment before Zip narrowed his eyes and turned to look at his brother, "We're going to get help. Any objections?" He glanced back at his sister, "What do you guys say?"  
There were no objections and after some expermenting the twins managed to get the ship flying in the direction they wanted it too, though they found it hard to keep the plane going straight and had to opt for a wobbly slightly zig-zaging route insead.


End file.
